Solo Practice Round Up

The medical profession is struggling with the same challenges as the legal profession, including rising tuition costs and enormous student debt (the average is $172,433 (as compared to $45,000- $60,000 for law students, though 25 percent carry debt in excess of $120,000 according to these stats. And like lawyers, doctors are also looking at innovative ways to deliver medical services, including e-coaching and self-assessment programs and concierge practices.

Should Lawyers Follow the Crowd to Groupon?

The ABA Journal has a piece on a recent North Carolina ethics decision related to lawyers’ use of Groupon.com, an online site that leverages the concept of collective bargaining power to offer discounts to members and exposure to service providers. The ABA mentions my Legal Marketing Blawg post which also discusses the ethics and practical issues of using Groupon (note: I was kind of down on Groupon, but if you’ve had a different experience, please let me know why I’m wrong!)

Niche News:

Here’s an article out of San Angelo, Texas about three Hispanic lawyers, two of them cousins who’ve carved out a niche in a saturated West Texas market by focusing on bilingual legal services, focused on personal injury, board-certified immigration and criminal defense.